Hello - New Member
Hello,
I'm new here. Found this site from a document over at the Richmond Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery site.
Long story, but it's relevant hope I don't bore you. :-)
I'm 50-years old, and have been overweight most of my life.
Last year I was laid off, I was a senior manager. It has been difficult finding new work - not because there isn't work out there, there is a lot however as soon as the interviewers meet with me the meetings are very short and a few days later I find out they went with other candidates. I am POSITIVE that this is due to my weight and because of that my appearance - doesn't help that I sweat like crazy carrying around all that extra weight.
I DO NOT have any hang-ups on my appearance, however I am overweight by at least 100lbs and know I need to lose the weight.
I am seriously considering bariatric surgery and in fact will visit my family doctor next week (I live in British Columbia, Canada) to discuss this, he may tell me to see my endocrinologist (I have Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol). I am excited about this, but also scared.
What worries me most about rapid weight loss is loose sagging skin. Does this happen to EVERYONE that goes through this procedure? I've seen others that have lost a lot of weight in a short period of time however they have not had loose/saggy skin. What can be done to prevent loose/saggy skin if you go through bariatric surgery?
I'd appreciate any feedback that you could provide regarding bariatric surgery (I will ask to be referred to the Richmond Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery program at the Richmond Hospital).
Thanks,
M
I think I originally posted this in the wrong forum (Ontario) instead of BC - didn't realize there are forums for each province.
Hi M,
I haven't had the surgery yet so not speaking from experience at this point but we were told to expect skin.
I would think that some people are lucky but I am over 50 so not really expecting to get off lightly on the skin issue.
We are covered under MSP for the surgery etc, but not removal of excess skin, that would be out of pocket so be prepared.
Also, if you haven't been referred yet for the program, expect at least a 2 year wait before even beginning the process.
Cheers,
:)
Try to talk him into referring you anyway. You will have plenty of time to decide if you want to do it (or to get talked out of it) -- the wait list for Richmond is now 3 to 4 years!
Victoria now has a shorter wait. And I keep hearing rumours about a "Fraser Valley" program but have no details whatsoever about it.
You know, I'm not sure. Perhaps he knows the doctor over there or has worked with him before. I wouldn't mind Victoria, but the issue is travel (more so for my wife) as I know my wife will not make the trek via float plane OR ferry... several things to get in order if I wanted to do that, and that just adds to the stress.
I'm glad my endo will refer me to the Richmond program.
If you live in New West with a spouse who can support you through the process (especially the surgery and recovery part), it would be CRAZY not to do it in Richmond, all other factors aside. Definitely worth the wait.
And in the meantime, I highly recommend the Medical Weight Management Centre in Coquitlam (Dr. Michael Lyons). I wish I had known about it years ago. It is excellent preparation for bariatric surgery as well as potentially an effective program to help you lose weight without the surgery. It's comprehensive, well presented, and done in a very respectful and supportive way. And it's covered by MSP. The only problem with it is that you have to get there: The group sessions (which are more or less every week for a year or so) are at 5:00 or 6:45 -- in other words, you need to travel to Coquitlam during rush hour. But it's worth asking your doctor for a referral.
Good luck! And maybe check out PGX supplements, too: https://www.pgx.com/ The meal replacement shakes, in particular, are a big part of the program for many of the MWM patients and far superior to Optifast if you've ever had the misfortune of imbibing that stuff.
Thank you for the information!
While I'm glad to get so much information, I'm pretty pissed that my doctor(s) either don't know about this or simply did not tell me about it... maybe they thought it wasn't for me.
It would be about an hour drive from home -- not too bad.
I've used PGX in the past, but had not tried their meal replacement shakes. I bought a HUGE tub of protein powder and it is disgusting. I should have stuck with Six Star brand but got cheap. I end up adding strawberries into it so the after taste isn't so bad. :-(
For some strange reason, most doctors don't know about the program. I was told about it by somebody who had bariatric surgery in Victoria and was attending the MWM clinic for the post bariatric surgery group. When I told my doctor about the program, she didn't hesitate to refer me, but it was the first she had heard about it. I think, too, that it hasn't been around all that long -- that it is still in development and has grown a lot in the past couple of years.
The trouble with most of the protein drinks out there is that they don't have enough fibre in them. The PGX shakes are basically a conduit for fibre... with protein along for the ride. I haven't tried them yet, but I plan to pick up a sample this coming week and see how it goes. I didn't fare well with the capsules when I tried them a few years ago, but apparently the shakes are easier on the GI system. I hope...